Bangi-dong sundaeguk with fresh kimchi and chives: Boseung Hoegwan

Hi, this is Neojins the nurse. When the weather gets a bit chilly, or when I just crave a hot bowl of soup, gukbap (Korean soup with rice) is the first thing that comes to mind. Today I'm introducing a Bangi-dong gukbap restaurant I visit often — Boseung Hoegwan Bangi Branch. This time I ordered sundaeguk (blood sausage soup) and boiled pork gukbap, plus fire-grilled pork as a side, and left completely full.

Where is Boseung Hoegwan Bangi Branch, and what are the hours?

• Address: 101 Ogeum-ro, 1st floor, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Open 24 hours
• Transit: About 476m from Jamsil Station Exit 10
• Parking: Available, free

Boseung Hoegwan Bangi Branch is within walking distance of Jamsil Station, so it's pretty accessible. Best of all, it's open 24 hours, so it's a great spot not just for breakfast but also for late-night snacks or a hangover meal.

A spacious dining room that works for solo diners and groups

Once you step inside Boseung Hoegwan Bangi Branch, you'll notice the space is bigger than you'd expect. There are plenty of tables, so it felt comfortable eating a bowl of gukbap alone, but it also seemed fine for a group of family or coworkers. It has that cozy, familiar gukbap-restaurant vibe, making it a good place to visit whenever you want a hearty meal.

Menu lineup and side dishes made with Korean-grown cabbage and radish

Boseung's menu is quite varied, including sundae gukbap and boiled pork gukbap, along with bone hangover soup, gamjatang (spicy pork bone stew), sundae-gopchang hot pot, and boiled pork.

The basic side dishes are cabbage kimchi, kkakdugi (radish kimchi), chives, and salted shrimp.

What I especially liked was that the cabbage kimchi and kkakdugi are made with domestic cabbage and radish. These days I quietly check the country of origin whenever I eat out, so this was genuinely reassuring. The cabbage kimchi has a crisp, fresh-cut taste rather than the deeply fermented, sour kind — closer to the freshly-tossed kimchi you get at a kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) restaurant, so if you like that style, this will suit you well. The kkakdugi also went nicely with the gukbap broth.

Tip: I usually order pancakes as a side whenever I come to Boseung. They come out fried crisp and pair really well with gukbap. Unfortunately they were sold out this time, so I ordered fire-grilled pork instead.

Sundaeguk: is it too spicy with the chili paste stirred in?

The milky broth was loaded with plump sundae (blood sausage) and other ingredients, so it looked hearty from the start.

The sundae in particular was plump and tender, and it went great with the hot, rich broth. It's served with dadagi (chili paste) already mixed in, but it's less spicy than you'd expect. Even someone like me who's not great with spicy food could eat it without much trouble, so those who are sensitive to spice shouldn't worry too much.

Suyuk gukbap: how the boiled pork and chives taste together

The boiled pork gukbap had more meat in the broth than I expected, so one bowl was plenty filling. The pork was tender and had zero gamey smell — good, good!

As I scooped up the meat and broth together, I added a generous handful of the chives from the side dishes, which brought a fragrant kick that made it even tastier.

Eating the hot broth with chives mixed in made me feel warm from the inside out — a perfect fit for this cooler weather.

Fire-grilled pork, the side ordered after the pancakes sold out

I originally planned to order pancakes again this time, but since they were sold out, I tried the fire-grilled pork instead. It's a smoky, charred meat dish that worked fine alongside the gukbap, but—

Personally, I wished the meat had a bit more juiciness and tenderness. Based on the side dishes I've tried at Boseung over multiple visits, the crispy pancakes I usually enjoy suited my taste a little better than the fire-grilled pork. If the pancakes are available next time, I'll probably order them again.

Verdict: a 24-hour Bangi-dong stop for solo meals and hangovers

Boseung Hoegwan Bangi Branch is a great, low-pressure spot to visit whenever you're craving a hot, hearty bowl of gukbap.

Of the dishes I tried this time, both the sundaeguk with its plump sundae and the boiled pork gukbap with its generous meat were satisfying.

I especially liked the kimchi and kkakdugi made with domestic cabbage and radish — topping each spoonful of gukbap with a piece of kimchi was a great combo. Being open 24 hours with a spacious dining room also makes it versatile, whether you're eating solo, with family, or grabbing a late-night hangover meal. Next time, I'm planning to try the pancakes again since they were sold out this time. If you're looking for a hot, hearty Bangi-dong gukbap spot, I recommend Boseung Hoegwan Bangi Branch.